Shutter apparatus for engine radiators



Jan. 6, 1925 1,522,137

A. G. M CALEB SHUTTER APPARATUS FOR ENGINE RADIATORS Filed March, 1, 1924 fizz/m5; @Zerf G 272 Caze.

ALBERT G. MCCALEB, OF CHICAGO,

arr eerie,

PT! a t s e ii iii:

I LLINoIs, ASSIGNOR TO PINES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SHUTTER APPARATUS role ENGINE nameronsl Application filed March 1, 1924. Serial No. 696,152.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, Annual G. MGCALEB, a citizen of the omted States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State v of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Shutter Apparatus for Engine Radiators, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specifi -ation.

My invention relates to a shutter appara tus for engine radiators, and is concerned with the provision of such an apparatus in which the shutters close when the engine stops, which open only when the engine is operating and has attaineda predetermined desirable operating temperature, and which when opened remain open until theoperation of the engine ceases.

The drawing diagrammatically illustrates the application of my invention to a water cooled engine of the kind commonly employed on automobiles.

In the drawing, reference numeral 1 indicates a multiple cylinder water jacketed internal combustion engine provided with the intake manifold 2, within which a partial Vacuum exists whenever the engine is in operation. At 3 is illustrated a fragment of the core of a suitable radiator, which. in automobile practice, is usually located in front of the engine and constitutes the front wall of an enclosure for-the power plant of the vehicle. The radiator is, of course, connected through suitable conduits (not shown) with the water jackets of the engine, so that the cooling medium may circulate or be circulated through the water jackets and the radiator in a well known manner.

At 4 I have illustrated a plurality of shutters which control the cooling capacity of the radiator; i. e., when the shutters are open the radiator has its maximum cooling capacity, and when the shutters are closed the radiator has its minimum cooling capacity. These shutters may form parts of a radiator shutter attachment such as are illustrated in the patent to Christian Nielsen, Jr., No.

1,178,938, dated April 11, 1916, or may be supported within the radiator shell to constitute a so-called built-in shutter apparatus. In the present disclosure, the shutters are mounted for movement around horizon- 65" tal axes in a suitable frame indicated at 5.

The shutters have a common operating bar 6. the springtending to hold the shutters closed.

Fixed with respect to the shutter frame is a cylinder 8, within whichoperates a piston f plOl'l ttl with a piston rod 10 which, if desired, may be guided by a spider 11 at the open end of the cylinder. The outer end of the piston rod is pivoted to one end of a link 12 which at its opposite end is operably connected with a bell crank lever 13 which is conveniently pivoted to the frame 5. The bell crank lever-in turn is connected through a link 14.- with the shutter. operating bar 6. Thus it will be seen that the spring 7 normally tends to move the piston 9 toward the spider 11.

, At 15 is illustrated a conduit which affords va suction communication between the engine manifold 2 and the closed end of the cylinder 8. The diameter of the cylinder 8 and the strength of the spring 7 are such that when the engine is operating, the partial vacuum existing in the cylinder 8 is sufficient to hold the shutters'open, notwith standing the tendency of the spring 7 to close the same. It will be noted that the link 12 is provided with a notch 16 which. when the shutters are closed, lies opposite a latch 17. The said latch is in the form of a short bar having one end pivoted to the frame 5 and its upper end attached to a member 18which constitutes a follower for a collapsible and expansible thermo-wafer cell 19. A spring 20 associated with the follower 18 serves to move the latch 17 to its locking position when the thermo-wafer cell collapses.

The thermo-wafer cell may be of any wellknown type and is filled with a compound,

conveniently containing ether, which appre ciably changes its volume under changes in temperature. As here illustrated, the thermo-wafer cell bears against a heat conducting plate 21 which is supported by'the shutter frame 5 and which lies in snug heat conducting contact with the radiator core 3. The heat conducting plate is conveniently formed of aluminum. Theth'ermo-wafer' cell is conveniently located within a housing 22, formed of aluminum or other'suitable material, this housing being fixed to the aforesaid heat conducting plate and providing a sliding bearing to the follower 18 to which I e reviouslyallude n. som

installations it will be desirable to provide gages 1n the housing 22 with a jacket of heat insulating material; Such a jacket is illustrated at 23.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows: When the engine is idle and cold, the shutters are closed and are positivelylocked against opening by the latch 17 whlch enthe notch 16 of the engine commences to operate, the partial vacuum existing in the cylinder 8 tends to move the piston 9 to open the shutters, but such movement of the piston is prevented'by the latch 17. The shutters remain locked in their closed position until the engine temperature, as evidencedby the temperature I of the cooling medium and the radiator core,

tion upon the increase the cooling capacity of the radiator is increased to a predetermined point, say,

for instance, to a temperature between 160 to 200 of Fahrenheit. When the predetermined temperature is attained, the latch 17 is disengaged from the notch 16 by expansionot the thermo-wafer cell 19. Ihe shutters are thereupon moved to their openpos tion due to the influence of the engine sucpiston 9, the shutters remaining open until the engine ceases to operate. As soon as the engine stops, the shutters move to their closed position under the infiuence of the spring 20, the latch 17 engaging in the notch 16as soon as the temperature of the radiator core decreases to a predetermined extent. I

It will thus be seen that in the herein illustratediembodiment of my inv'ehtion, the shutters are always closed when the engine is not operating, are locked against opening when the engine operates until the engine has attained a predetermined temperature, 'and when once opened remain open until the operation of the engine ceases.

Having thus illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention, what I claim isnew and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is: v

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine comprising a' cooling system including a radiator, means controlling the cooling capacity of the radiator, means tending to actuate the controlling means to when the engine operates, locking means eflective' to prevent such actuation, and

' means for rendering the locking means in- .pable of overpowering fiective when the engine attains a predetermined temperature.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine comprising a cooling system including a radiator, means controlling the cooling capacity of the radiator, means normally tending to actuate the controlling means to decrease the cooling capacity of the radiator, a second actuating means cathe first, said second actuating means tending to actuate the conthe link 12. lVhen trolling means to increase the cooling capac ity of the radiator when the engine is oper- 3.- In combination with an engine coinprising a cooling system including a radiator, shutters for controlling the cooling ca pacity of the radiator, means for locking the shutters closed when the engine is at rest'and cold, means for unlocking the shutters when the engine attains a predeter mined temperature, and means effective when theengine is operating, to open the shutters when the same are unlocked.

4. In combination with an engine .comprising acooling system including a radiator, shutters for controlling the cooling capacity of said radiator, .means for locking said shutters closed when the engine is at rest and cold. thermostatic means for unlocking the shutters when the engine attains a predetermined temperature, and means for utilizing thesuction of the engine to open and hold the shutters open when the latter have been'unlocked by the thermostat.

5. In combustion with an engine com prising-'a cooling system including a radiator, shutters for controlling the cooling capacity of said radiator, spring means adapted to close the shutters when the engine is at rest, means effective when the engine is in operation to open said shutters when notdocked in closed position, means effective when the engine 'is cold and at rest to lock said shutters closed. and thermostatic means for rendering the locking means ineffective when the engine attains a predetcrmined temperature.

' 6.'In combination with an internal combustion engine comprising a cooling system the cooling capacity of the radiator, spring means normally tending to hold the shutters closed. meansoperaole by the suction of the engine tending to open the shutters. when the engine is in operation, means for locking the shutters closed, and thermostic means for unlocking the shutters when the engine has attained a predetermined temperature.

. 7. In combination with an internal combustion engine including a cooling system comprising a radiator, shutters for controlling the cooling capacity of the radiator, spring means tending to hold the shutters closed, means'operable by the suction of the engine capable of overpowering said spring means and tending to open the shutters when the engine is running, a positive lock holding the shutters in closed position when the engine is cold and at rest, and a thermostat responsive to the temperature of theradiator adapted to render the lock ineffective When the engine has attained a sufficiently high operating temperature.

8. A shutter apparatus for an engine radiator comprising shutters for controlling the cooling capacity of the radiator, means locking the shutters closed when the engine,

is at rest and cold, thermostatic means for rendering the locking means ineflective when the engine reaches a predetermined temperature, and means adapted when the engine s running to open the unlocked shutters and hold them open until the operation of the engine ceases. I l

.9. In combination With-an internal combustion engine comprising heat 'radiatmg ALBERT G. MQOALEB.

WVitnesses:

. DAGMAR PETERSON,

A. L. BREI rENsTEIN. 

